Graduate & Professional Programs

Committee for the Protection of Human Participants in Research

The mission of the CPHPR is to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects. The 8-10 voting members should represent most departments involved in research using human participants at the College. Although a certain level of expertise is required to understand the complexity of the research studies, not all candidates should have a scientific background. Membership should be academically and demographically diverse. Participation requires a substantial time commitment and candidates must be willing and able to engage in both independent and group reviews of research proposals. They must be unbiased, ethical, and able to separate their personal opinions of the research from their duty to protect the well-being of the subjects. All members must maintain a firm commitment to confidentiality, particularly given Emmanuel's small size.

The responsibilities of the members are as follows:1. Ongoing trainings including participation in biennial training sessions, online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training every three years, and active engagement with relevant readings and regulation materials, webinars, and/or conferences. 2. Familiarity with regulations in the Common Rule as written by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) which is founded on the Belmont Report.3. Willingness to consult Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines regarding these regulations or other readily available sources regarding specific content, to make informed decisions. 4. A sensitivity to the fact that some of the proposals that come before the committee involve vulnerable populations, such as children, illegal immigrants, prisoners, all of whom are accorded special protections under federal guidelines. 5. To recuse from any reviews of projects in which a conflict of interest exists. A noted exception is if the member is providing general information at the request of other CPHPR members.6. At the discretion of the committee, invite non-voting specialists to assist with reviews beyond the purview and skills of CPHPR members.

Emmanuel College's CPHPR consists of a Chair and Vice-Chair who are faculty members with experience reviewing research with human participants. The CPHPR Administrator (VPAA) is a member of the administration of the College, and the CPHPR Administrative Coordinator organizes the operations of the CPHPR. CPHPR members at Emmanuel College are chosen by the CPHPR Administrator based on their experience in reviewing research, their expertise in areas of research expected to come before the board, and their diversity, consistent with federal regulations (45 C. F. R. 46.107). In addition, at least one member of the CPHPR comes from outside the College. The CPHPR welcomes those interested in serving to identify themselves for membership consideration by contacting, William Leonard, the CPHPR Institutional Official.

The types of research typically reviewed by Emmanuel College's CPHPR include research in psychology, sociology, political science, business, and other social and behavior sciences, as well as research conducted by staff members of the Emmanuel community designed to improve collegiate services. Researchers also include individuals from outside the Emmanuel community who conduct research with members of the Emmanuel community. The research generally reviewed by Emmanuel's CPHPR involves administering questionnaires or interviews to human participants in person or online; cognitive or non-invasive biological assessments, ethnographic and other qualitative studies; and focus groups.